BNP leader Mirza Abbas now shown arrested in graft case

Mirza Abbas

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas was shown arrested today in a graft case filed against him in 2007.

Judge Monjurul Imam of the Special Judge Court-6 of Dhaka passed the order after Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam Akhonda of Shahjahanpur Police Station submitted an application seeking the BNP leader’s arrest in the case.

Earlier on October 30, the same court issued an arrest warrant against the former BNP Minister after rejecting his time petition in the case. Following the order, the court sent a copy of arrest warrant to the police station for next course of action.

In the application, SI Shafiqul Islam said, on October 31, Mirza Abbas was arrested in another case filed with Shahjahanpur Police Station over exploding crude bombs, attacking police and snatching firearms from them during the party's grand rally on October 28.

In line with his arrest, he is now in the jail. So Mirza Abbas has to be shown arrested in the graft case.

Upon hearing, the court granted the petition and directed the jail authorities to produce him in the court on November 5, the next scheduled date for arguments in the case.

Earlier, the court recorded statements of 24 prosecution witnesses, including complainant of the graft case.

The court framed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife on June 16 of 2008.

On August 16, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna Model Police Station against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas for amassing wealth worth over Tk 5.67 crore beyond their known sources of income and concealing wealth statement of Tk 23 lakh to the commission.

The ACC on May 14, 2008 pressed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in the case. - Special Correspondent